Patriots Journal: Belichick unrattled as rules evolve

FOXBORO — If Bill Belichick is having trouble understanding the new rules being put in place in the NFL, imagine how everyone else feels.

PAUL KENYON | Journal Sports Writer

FOXBORO - If Bill Belichick is having trouble understanding thenew rules being put in place in the NFL, imagine how everyone elsefeels.

The Patriots' coach normally has training camp under control forhis team, with schedules in place and assignments handed out. Notthis year. Like everyone else in the league, he and his team arelearning what they can and cannot do as they go along and arereacting accordingly.

Belichick made it clear Thursday, on the first day his team wasable to take the field, how different it is.

"I mean, the player-personnel rules, the practice rules, thecontract rules, those have even changed hourly over the last fewdays,'' he said. "They've been adjusted or modified or changed orwhatever you want to call it. So it's still an ongoing process.Whatever they are, then we'll adjust to them."

With negotiations with rookies and free agents going on at thesame time as the start of practice, everyone is involved.

"We have different people in our organization that areresponsible for all the different areas and trying to coordinatethem all together and do the best we can in each of those areas,whether it's contracts, coaching, player personnel, on-fielddecisions and so forth,'' he pointed out. "That's why we have afull staff and everyone has worked very hard at it. It's just a lotto catch up on in a very short amount of time, but every team inthe league is doing the same thing, so that's the way it is.

"We have people that are in different stages of practice. Someare practicing [and] some can do some things, but can't do otherthings. Other people won't be able to participate very extensivelyat this time. We've got players in all different categories, andwe're actually still working through that,'' Belichick said.

"Some things changed this morning from yesterday. Some thingswill change by this afternoon. Again, we haven't seen these playersin months, so the status of what they can and can't do, we're stilltrying to determine that in a number of cases. I don't even know ifI could accurately tell you what our players can and can't do. Insome cases, we haven't seen them,'' he said.

"There's no insurmountable mountain here,'' he concluded. "Wejust have to get it done.''

Roster confusion

As Belichick discussed in his news conference before practiceThursday, the new collective bargaining agreement and the quickstart of training camp has made it difficult to keep track of whatis happening with the Patriots' roster.

In most years, teams are at the full allowable total of 90players when they begin practice. Thursday morning, the Pats hadonly 73 on the field for their first session.

Part of it is because most players taken in this year's drafthave not yet signed contracts. The Pats had only two rookiesdressed, Lee Smith, a tight end who was a fifth-round pick, andMarkell Carter, a linebacker taken in the sixth round. Seven otherstaken, including first-round choice Nate Solder, had not yetsigned.

The Pats announced earlier this week that veteran running backSammy Morris, who had been a free agent, has re-signed with theteam. According to the rules, though, veteran free agents who signcannot begin play until Aug. 4, so Morris will have to wait. LoganMankins, who has been designated as the team's franchise player, isin the same position. So is running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis, arestricted free agent who is expected to return.

Marcus Stroud, a former Buffalo defensive lineman who signedwith New England before the lockout, was not there, apparentlybecause he has been cut.

On the other hand, two former Naval Academy standouts who hadbeen on the military list for the last two years, did take thefield. They are wide receiver Tyree Barnes and running back EricKettani.

With the reduced numbers, the depth was not there at some spots,notably on the offensive line, which was without Mankins, Solderand Nick Kaczur. Corey Woods, a rookie free agent from Akron, andThomas Austin, a first-year player from Clemson, were among thoseseeing work as the team went through running plays in thenon-contact practices.

Draft picks on field

Malcolm Williams, the Pats' seventh-round draft choice who isexpected to focus on special teams, was on the field for theafternoon practice and Stevan Ridley, a running back taken in thethird round, was also on the field. Both have been signed by theteam.

Former Brown University star Buddy Farnham is back and fightingfor a spot as a wide receiver. He had a couple of drops on passingdrills in the afternoon.

Team owner Robert Kraft, dressed in jeans, quietly walked on thefield midway through the morning practice.

Two practices will be held again Friday, one at 9:30 10 a.m. andone at 2:30 p.m. The team has not revealed its schedule beyondthat.

"We're just kind of taking it hour-by-hour, I wouldn't even sayday-by-day yet," Belichick said. "It's one step at time - try toget through practice, or walkthrough this morning and get throughpractice this afternoon and just try to get everything up andrunning."

pkenyon@projo.com / 277-7340

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